The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-02
CITIZEN TRAIN.
THE CAREER OF A NOTED
AMERICAN CHARACTER.
George Francis Trains Start in Life
His Great Financial Ability
The Vagaries of Life
time-His Wealth.

that city, to give the following sketch of
his varied career: George Francis Train,
or Citizen Train, as he now calls himself,
is one of the most picturesque characters
in America, and withal one of the most
harmless of men. His public career, ex-
tending over half century, is crowded
with interesting events, many of them
national and international in their i'm
portance. He was born in 1929 in Boston,
where his father, Oliver E. Train, was
successful merchant of considerable for
tune. His grandfather was Rev. George
Pickering, who became famous in the
first quarter of this century for eman-
oipating his slaves and declining Metho-
dist Bishopric. At the age of four years
Train was taken to New Orleans by his
father, who went to the Crescent City to
engage in business, but he had not been
there long before yellow fever attacked
the city. Trains mother and three sis
ters were among the first who succumbed
to the scourge, and Train himself was
only saved from it by his fathers prompt
action in sending him to Boston in
charge of the Captain of clipper ship
that departed flom New Orleans. When
young Train reached his native city he
was informed of his fathers death, which
occurred within week after his own de-
parture from New Orleans.
After long career at academies and
colleges young Train entered mercan-
tile office at Cambridgeport as q clerk,
and he remained there two years, when,
growing dissatisfied, he went to Boston
and entered the employ of Enoch Train
& Co. His marked ability soon became
obvious to the managers of the firm, and
his advancement was so rapid that in
1853 he was sent to London and Liver.
pool as the English correspondent and
manager of the house. In 1851 he was
married in Louisville, and he made
considerable tour of the country with
his bride, and two years later he went to
Australia, where he founded mercan-
tile house that afterward became fa-
nous. 1t established connections with
all the famous merchants of Europe and
America, and was besides the agent of
the celebrated White Star Line Of clip
per ships that was then controlled by
Pilkington s. Wilson, of Liverpool. Dur
ing his residence in Australia he was one
of the central figures of the revolution
and the republic, and he was rendered
the Presidency of that ephemeral Gov
ernment, but declined it. Shortly
after that he became famous for his
letters from Asia, Africa and Aus
tralia. During second residence
in Europe he completely revolutionized
the business methods of the entire world
by establishing prepaid passenger busi-
ness, and introducing small bills of ex-
change. Then he conceived the idea of
building street railways in London and
Liverpool, or tramway lines, as English
men persist in calling them. Another
great financial enterprise he maneuvered
was the sale of the bonds of the Atlantic
& Great Western Railway, and he con-
Quoted it so successfully that he at once
Jumped into the front rank of financicrs
Of the world. During the days before
the war, when the slavery question was
under discussion Train was frequently on
the lecture platform in favor of abolition.
His trial in 1862 for manslaughter, " hich
resulted in his acquittal, was followed by
his agitation of the Union Pacific Rail-
road scheme. He advocated the con-
struction of a transcontinental road with
its eastern terminus at Omaha, and his
advocacy was conducted with so much
vigor that he was at length successful.
The celebrated Credit Mobilier was an
other of his conceptions, and he was the
central figure of it thu oughout.
In 1869 he began his now historic
campaign for the Presidency, and during
three years following he delivered hun
dreds of lectures all over the country.
He made the last speech of his campaign
in 1872 in Wall street to an immense
throng of people, and when the meeting
was over he made public defense of
ClaAin and Woodruff, who were con-
spicuous at that time for their advocacy
Of Objectionable doctrines. There was
so much in his speech that the police
considered reprehcnsible that they ar
rested him and locked him up in the
Tombs. Although many offers of bail
were made he declined to accept any
thing but an immediate trial. He even
refused liberty on his own recogniZance.
His peculiar actions and speech attracted
widespread attention among medical
men, and there was so much said about
his mind being unbalanced that it was
determined to examine him to ascertain
if he was really sane. The examination
resulted in an inquiry of lunacy before
Judge Noah Davis. When the testi-
mony of the medical experts who had
examined Train was all in, Judge Davis
ordered the jury to return verdict of
insanity, which they did without leav-
ing the court room. An appeal was
taken, and on May 80, 1878, before
Judge Fancher, Train was discharged as
sane. and on the next day he started for
Germany, where he soon got into Jail for
some public utterances.
Then he came back to the United
States again and took up the cause of
the workingman, which he advocated
until 1877, when he determined to hold
no further intercourse with man. He
resolved to treat only with women and
children thereafter, and he has kept that
VOW, as far as practicable up to the
present time. After his trial for lunacy
Train made many excursions to Europe,
and he was successful, according to his
statements, in getting himself locked up
in Jail in every European country.
Of late years Train has kept himself
before the public by his peculiar writ
ings, lectures and his proicssed foudness
for children. Occasionally, too, he will
take flyer at some policeman, as of
yore, and create a disturbance that will
set telegraph instruments clicking every
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